College's tuition on the rise

Published: Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at 04:34 PM.

But those are not the only challenges community colleges and their students face, said Martin Nadelman, outgoing president of Alamance Community College, including changes in financial aid.

“I became a (college) president in North Carolina in 1991; tuition was $12.75 per credit hour,” Nadelman said. “The cost does factor into the decision making for sure. Each course is costing (students) about $225, and I think they’re paying more for book than for class.”

This budget’s $2.50 increase takes community-college tuition to $71.50 per credit hour, a bargain compared to a private, four-year college.

Still, it is about a 58-percent increase since 2008, and about 460 percent increase over Nadelman’s career as a college president.

The General Assembly sets tuition rates for community colleges and the budgets for the schools. This year’s state budget is giving Alamance Community College $2 million less than last academic year, Nadelman said, on top of about a $1 million cut the year before. And there have been tuition increases for about four years in a row.

Ross said the budget process started in the state House with intentions to increase education spending, but that plan struck hard on Medicaid.

“Then all of the sudden we started getting overages in the Medicaid budget,” Ross said. “It’s something we have no control over – it’s dictated from on high.”

■ A $5 increase for continuing education courses, short classes to improve job skills or to work toward a high-school diploma as of Aug. 15.

■ Continuing education students pay $70 for 25 hours - $180 for 50 or more hours.

■ Tuition waivers no longer available for senior citizens in curriculum courses and not available for continuing education classes as of Aug. 15.

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GRAHAM – Tuition at Alamance Community College will be a bit higher this year; it got a bit higher the year before that and the year before that.

“We spend over a billion dollars per year on the community college system – that’s a lot of money,” said Rep. Stephen Ross, R-Alamance. “I still think the community college system is a huge bargain in North Carolina. We just have to keep it fiscally sound.”

The community college system has been “Plan A” for many and “Plan B” for many others over the years as North Carolina’s industrial based shrank.

In a tight economy, community colleges have seen their budgets cut, salaries frozen and tuition raised. The current Republican legislative majority is now adding to those cuts and increases.

But those are not the only challenges community colleges and their students face, said Martin Nadelman, outgoing president of Alamance Community College, including changes in financial aid.

“I became a (college) president in North Carolina in 1991; tuition was $12.75 per credit hour,” Nadelman said. “The cost does factor into the decision making for sure. Each course is costing (students) about $225, and I think they’re paying more for book than for class.”

This budget’s $2.50 increase takes community-college tuition to $71.50 per credit hour, a bargain compared to a private, four-year college.

Still, it is about a 58-percent increase since 2008, and about 460 percent increase over Nadelman’s career as a college president.

The General Assembly sets tuition rates for community colleges and the budgets for the schools. This year’s state budget is giving Alamance Community College $2 million less than last academic year, Nadelman said, on top of about a $1 million cut the year before. And there have been tuition increases for about four years in a row.

Ross said the budget process started in the state House with intentions to increase education spending, but that plan struck hard on Medicaid.

“Then all of the sudden we started getting overages in the Medicaid budget,” Ross said. “It’s something we have no control over – it’s dictated from on high.”

Nadelman said he does not think the increase is turning students away, but said there has been declining enrollment in the past two years mostly because of changes in the Federal Pell Grant Program. Those changes made it harder to qualify for maximum-level grants and eliminated grants for summer students.

Student loans are still available, Nadelman said, but the college does not encourage students to get loans. The debts are often too large to pay off when their careers start, and even harder if they do not finish their degrees.

Student enrollment spiked three years ago, Nadelman said, as more people without jobs went looking for new careers, but has been declining since. Nadelman said Tanger Outlets opening in Mebane also lured students away with about 800 new jobs.

Faculty pay is also frozen, Nadelman said. The state has not given community college teachers a raise in about four years, but faculty pay still averages to about $47,000 per year. Nadelman said he thinks the college will be able to keep faculty, in part, because of the tough economy, but mostly because of their dedication to their work.

Nadelman said the tuition increase will bring about $10 million to the state. Still, he worries about the long-term impact on community colleges from budget cuts year after year.

“I think at some point the cuts we are receiving will be detrimental to our students and our region, and once it’s realized it’s going to be a while before we’re able to get back to being fully productive for our students and our region,” Nadelman said. “I don’t think we’re there yet but it could happen.”